COOK COUNTY COUNCIL

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 353, 1 March 1902, Page 3

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of tho Cook County Council was held yesterday, wlion the following members were present: Messrs Maefarlane (Chairman), Jex-Blake, Mossman, Hutchinson, Graham, King, and Tombleson. GOVERNMENT VOTES.

Correspondence was read from the Roads’ Department upon the question of lapsed votes, it being pointed out that the circular of December 24th must be followed.—An opinion on the question was received from Mr C. A. DeLautour, who said that the position taken up by tho Government appeared to him to be the correct one, although the sudden relapse to virtue might be extremely inconvenient to the Council.—The Chairman said that Mr DeLautour upheld Government’s cancellation of tho old agreements, so there was nothing left for tho Council to do but to apply for fresh agreements. With regard to the request for the £IOOO for the East Coast road, tho Department pointed out that .£293 had been paid to tho Waiapu Council and £450 to the Cook County Council. The balance remaining unspent, £l3O, had been applied for. With regard to the Wairoa road there was a balance of £239 remaining. The Clerk and he (the Chairman) had gone through the list of votes and selected the Ngatapu, Motu, and Waiapu inland as absolutely new money. These amounts had been applied for. It was decided that the unexpended portions of the Wairoa road grant and Pouparae should be applied for, being matters of urgency. HEALTH OFFICER WANTED.

Dr H. E. Finch, acting Health Officer, wrote suggesting that the Council should act as local Board of Health for the whole of the County outside of the borough and suburbs of Ivaiti and Whataupoko ; confusion would result if each Board were to act as a Board of Health. The most important duty likely to occur was the disinfection of houses in cases of infectious diseases. Ho suggested that the Council should appoint one of their employees to do this work, and also report on any nuisances occurring in the district. —The Chairman said that he had interviewed Dr Finch, and suggested that he (Dr Finch) should interview the thirteen Road Boards. The doctor thought this was too big an order. During the past two years there had only been two cases in the county that would have required attention. After discussion the Council decided to get the consent of the Road Boards, to merge in tho one Health district as suggested by Dr Finch.

VALUATION CHARGES. The Valuation Department wrote stating that they had made an overcharge of 11s last year in the case of the valuation roll supplied to the Pouawa Road Board.— Cr Mossman said that the Department had this year overcharged the Council a great deal more than the amount.

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